Montbell Tachyon Hooded Jacket Review

Overview

The Tachyon Hooded Jacket is Montbell’s 72 g wind shell, cut from 7-denier Ballistic Airlight nylon ripstop and built for people who weigh their socks. It adds a hood, underarm vents and zippered hand pockets to a category that usually offers little more than a zipper and a prayer. The trade-off is the fabric: it breathes like almost nothing else, but it is a thin film of nylon and should be treated as one.

Key Specs

Spec	Detail
Weight	72 g (2.5 oz)
Fabric	7D Ballistic Airlight nylon ripstop
Water repellency	Polkatex DWR finish
Hood	One-way adjustable, stiffened bill
Front closure	Full-length zipper
Pockets	Two zippered hand pockets, hip-belt compatible
Ventilation	Underarm vents
Cuffs	Elastic
Packing	Integrated stow pocket
Reported price	About $139

Performance

Weight and packability. At 2.5 oz, the Tachyon sits near the bottom of the wind-shell weight charts. CleverHiker’s testers ranked it as one of the lightest jackets in their lineup, with only one lighter. The jacket stuffs into its own pocket, and the testers describe the packed result as about the size of a tangerine. It fits in a running vest or a hip-belt pocket without being noticed. Larger sizes weigh a little more: SectionHiker’s reviewer lists an XL at 3.1 oz, against 2.5 oz for a medium.

Breathability. This is the jacket’s strongest point. CleverHiker’s testers wore it on winter trail runs and sweaty climbs and found that moisture passed through the fabric and evaporated. Other jackets in the test beaded sweat on the inside. They also reported that it dries quickly after exposure to rain and snow. SectionHiker’s long-time owner makes the same point about hiking hard in cool weather: vapor leaves, so it doesn’t pool on the skin and chill you when you stop.

Wind protection and warmth. Worn over a baselayer, or over a fleece in the White Mountains, the Tachyon cuts the wind and holds in a useful amount of warmth. The hood has a flexible plastic stiffener in the bill and elastic controls at the face opening. Tightened down, it stays put over a billed cap and doesn’t flap against the ears. Not every tester loved the adjustment, though. CleverHiker flagged the hood as hard to adjust.

Venting and fit details. The elastic cuffs are loose enough to push up the forearms for extra venting. The underarm vents are small, described as barely the width of a middle finger in one review and as four finger-width openings per armpit in another. They won’t match a full pit zip, but combined with the fabric’s breathability they are enough to keep the jacket wearable on climbs. The two zippered hand pockets stay accessible under a pack’s hip belt, which is a real advantage over most ultralight wind shells with no pockets at all. The jacket can also be stuffed into one of these pockets for packing.

Durability and weather. The 7D fabric is tough for its weight, but it is still 7D. CleverHiker’s testers called it relatively fragile and not their pick for bushwhacking or climbing, where scrapes are routine. One reviewer noted a slightly plastic-y hand. The Polkatex DWR sheds light moisture, but this is a wind shell, not a rain jacket. Anyone expecting it to hold off a sustained downpour will end up wet.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 72 g with a hood, pockets and vents
• Among the most breathable wind shells in its class, per CleverHiker’s testers
• Hip-belt-compatible zippered pockets, rare at this weight
• Packs to about the size of a tangerine in its own pocket
• Stiffened hood bill works with a ball cap

Cons

• Thin fabric is easily damaged by brush, rock and rough pack handling
• Hood adjustment is fiddly
• Underarm vents are small
• DWR is only for light moisture
• At about $139, a lot to pay for a 2.5 oz garment

Who Should Buy This

Thru-hikers, ultralighters and trail runners who want a single layer for cold mornings, windy ridgelines and high-output climbs, and who will treat it with some care. It is a good match for anyone who hikes with a hip belt and wants hand pockets that stay reachable. It is the wrong jacket for bushwhackers, scramblers and anyone who wants one shell to handle both wind and rain. Those buyers should look at something heavier and tougher, with a rain shell alongside it.

Verdict

The Tachyon Hooded Jacket delivers real features at a weight that is nearly negligible, and its breathability is the best reason to pick it over a plainer wind shirt. It is delicate and not cheap, so it suits careful users best. For ultralight kits, it is an easy recommendation.